Iliman Ndiaye has dismissed suggestions that Everton’s end-of-season slump was down to fatigue and has expressed his desire to play in more matches – including European football.
The 26-year-old – who is preparing to play in Senegal’s World Cup opener against the country of his birth, France – made his remarks in an interview with SPORTbible.
Ndiaye said: “Everyone’s going to be watching the World Cup. It’s definitely a big opportunity for me.”
“You don’t know where football will take you next. As I’ve always said, I want to be the best player and to do that, you have to play at the top.”
“I want to be playing at the top level. I want to be playing Champions League football.”
Everton could now be playing European football themselves, having been just three points off a Champions League place when they defeated Chelsea 3-0 on March 21, when Ndiaye netted their third goal, his first from open play since the 1-1 draw at Sunderland on November 3.
However, the Blues failed to win any of their subsequent last seven matches of the season, with his personal form taking a serious nosedive after his goal against Liverpool in the first ever Merseyside Derby against Liverpool was disallowed for offside.
Ndiaye missed a clutch of one-on-one chances in the 3-3 draw at home to Manchester City that could have given David Moyes’ men a huge morale-boosting victory and then he squandered an inviting late opportunity to win the game in a 2-2 draw away at Crystal Palace. Given that he played 34 games for Everton and 45 for club and country, the winger doesn’t think burnout was to blame for the late collapse.
He said: “It (the season) has gone okay, personally, I think I could have been better. The start of the season was very good but the second part, not so much.”
“I don’t think it’s fatigue. For me, the team has not been at its best.”
“You can speak individually, but when the whole team is not working, you can’t really say this player is fatigued or not doing well.”
“At the same time, I don’t think I’ve played enough games. I went to AFCON but actually, I don’t think that’s enough.”
“I want to be playing in Europe, in the Champions League, I want to play in all of these games.”
Despite being given a hero’s welcome on his return to Everton in January – along with Idrissa Gueye – Ndiaye still doesn’t know whether Senegal are African champions after the result of their 1-0 victory over Morocco in the final was reversed by the continent’s football authorities some two months later because the Senegalese players had earlier walked off the pitch.
While that ruling has been appealed by Senegal, the verdict is not expected until after the World Cup, but the Rouen-born star remains bullish about their chances in North America.
Ndiaye said: “In my opinion, we are going to win the World Cup. If I didn’t think that, then what’s the point of going?”
“What’s the point of packing your suitcase? I don’t want to be a tourist.”
“I’m going there to win it. If I thought differently, then I’d give my place in the team to someone else.”
“France is a big part of my life. I was born there.”
“My family live there. My friends live there.”
“My mum is French, too, so as much as I’m playing for Senegal and I love Senegal, I’m also French. A lot of us (the squad) were born in France.”
“We are mostly a squad of French heritage, so it’s going to mean everything. We have a strong team, I hope they’ll come up against us and be scared.”
